Marie Antoinette Tag Archives

I should have known better than to have trusted a historical biopic. I really should know better by now. Since seeing it for the first time a few years ago, I have loved The Duchess. It’s a gorgeous movie starring Kiera Knightley as Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. The movie is loosely based on Amanda Foreman’s biography, Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire. And I do mean loosely. Don’t …

Despite the name of this blog, the Lazy Historian didn’t actually get lazy. She got busy with work and book stuff. SIGH. But I’m back with another post for Marie Antoinette Month, in honor of the doomed queen’s 260th birthday. This post discusses her husband, Louis XVI of France. Expectations would be high for any descendant of Louis XIV, the Sun King of France, the …

(View Part 1 of Marie Antoinette’s life here.) Marie Antoinette had always loved children and the pressure to conceive royal heirs came from so many angles, so the stress from this put strain on the couple’s relationship. Sources vary on the reason why the delay (some say lack of sexual education, other historians claim Louis-Auguste had a problem with his equipment), but the couple finally consummated the …

Since today is Marie Antoinette‘s birthday (the ripe old age of 260), I decided to make the whole month about my favorite doomed French queen. The posts to follow in this series will span the month of November and will relate to the people who were close to her during her life: her mother, her husband, her friends and more. Keep in mind, I didn’t …

I’ll be adding to this list as I find more birthdays. Note: many birth dates, especially as you look further back in time, were not recorded. Comment below if you know of a birthday that should be added to this list! Happy birthday to… November 2 – Edward V (1470), Daniel Boone (1734), Marie Antoinette (1755) November 4 – William II (1650) November 6 – …

What is it about the guillotine that sends shivers down the spine? When it comes to execution, the guillotine was more humane and effective than beheading by axe or sword. This symbol of the French Revolution made beheading a quick and painless endeavour. Is it the size of the blade? The quick succession of deaths that occurred during the bloodiest parts of the French Revolution? Although …

During Marie Antoinette’s life, she went through a few phases, as we all do as we grow up. As an adult, Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, took a liking to what she thought of as a simpler lifestyle. She began dressing in simpler gowns and her hairstyles became more tame and less… towering. In 1783, she had the architect Richard Mique build a country retreat for her, known …